Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom by Matt Meyer
Introduction
The Duke von Brandt manor is a shell of its former glory. Once, a welcoming hall of respect and nobility, the estate has now fallen victim to decades of disrepair, and the overwhelming presence of dark magic. Acting as the primary headquarters for a strange group known as the Hidden Kingdom, this ancient structure is now home to the group’s many followers, and of course, the mysterious Brother Ptolemy himself. The walls of von Brandt manor echo with the ghosts of the past, while the shadows of the ancient walls hide dark secrets and forgotten memories which may hold the very keys needed to unlock the true nature of the Hidden Kingdom and its shrouded ruler.
Overview
1. Approach
Out of the mists of the moor rise an ancient structure whose tall stone walls and pillars split the night air. The manor’s outer wall, choked with vines of ivy, stretches around the entire property – encircled by a dark and murky moat. Before you, a broad and ancient wooden drawbridge slowly lowers across the water – as if anticipating your approach. Aside from a small, barred window to the west, the two strongly reinforced wooden doors to the gatehouse stand as the only entrance to manor proper.
Designed for defense, entering the von Brandt manor uninvited is no easy task. The moat is fifteen feet wide, while the outer walls reach fifty feet in height. The wall is in such a state of disrepair and covered with ivy vines in such a way that climbing it is possible, though getting down the other side might be difficult.
2. Gate House
This small stone hallway leads from the double doors to a closed portcullis. The passageway is flanked by stone walls laced with arrow slits. Above you, a heavy grate in the ceiling blocks passage to the gate house’s second level.
A basic knowledge of architecture might reveal that the ceiling grate might have once been used for defense – allowing guards to pour any number of undesirable concoctions down on invaders trapped by the portcullis. Today however, the gate house and its many defenses have been abandoned.
3. Inner Courtyard
Emerging from the Gate House, you step into a wide, fog-choked courtyard. To the west, the slanted wooden roof and open windows of a stable stand against the stone wall. Between you and the stable, a small outcropping from the wall forms a dome-like structure where a plain wooden doorframe held a screen which served as the structure’s entrance. To the east, the angelic stained glass windows of a chapel can be seen – the glass having kept its vibrant colors even as the rest of the structure sagged from age. North of the chapel stretches a small lake surrounded by a few trees and several patches of upturned soil where a garden may have once thrived. And of course, before you stands the great manor house itself, stretching two stories in height and nearly surpassing the very wall which protects it.
This courtyard is almost constantly filled with a low, rolling fog – another byproduct of the strange and unruly magic which calls this manor “home”. It has been ages since the gardens have born fruit or flower, as the manor’s current occupants have no need for food, and no desire to see the beauty of a flower – beauty that they will never know again. The courtyard is often filled with the comings and goings of Brother Ptolemy’s followers and is occasionally used as a tenting area for fresh initiates.
Optional: A curious traveler brave enough to take a dip in the lake (nothing more then the stagnant and polluted moat water brought in through a small grate) may be lucky enough to find a discarded Beggar’s Coin tossed away by a recently recruited acolyte who no longer has a need for it.
4. Dovecote
The small chamber beyond the screen door seems to be one of the few courtyard buildings still in use. The gentle cooing of a dozen or so fist sized birds fills the room, each kept within a small brick cage – series of which provide the only real furnishing to the small chamber. Beyond the cages, a thick glass window looks out at drawbridge and the manor’s approach.
Originally, much larger birds were kept here – bred for their eggs, meat, and warm feathers. Since Brother Ptolemy’s transformation however, he has done away with the lazy birds and replaced them with smaller ones trained in the delivery of messages. A single acolyte regularly attends to the birds here.
5. Stable
This stable, which may have once held and maintained as many as five horses, has now fallen into disrepair. Cobwebs cake the upper corners of this dilapidated shack of a building, as bug infested stacks of hay sit to the south. The sagging roof of this building looks ready to collapse at any moment.
Despite its appearance, this building is actually more or less structurally sound. Combat or explosive magic however may bring the stable crumbling down. Aside from the occasional large rats which make their home within the stable’s hay piles, little can be found here.
6. Chapel
The ancient wooden doors of the chapel almost fall off their rusted hinges as you pass the threshold into the forgotten chapel. High arched ceilings rise above you, as chipped and broken flagstones line the floor beneath your feet. The gloomy sunlight pools pathetically on the whitewashed floors – doing little to illuminate the finely crafted stained glass windows to the west and north. Six wooden benches, prepped for worshippers, dominate the chapel’s wide hall – half of them broken or overturned. The raised wooden pulpit itself lies in shambles with scraps of broken wood, glass, and metal littering the area. High above, in the church’s rafters, the gentle shuffling of bat wings marks the only noise in this abandoned place of worship.
What god this chapel’s patrons once worshiped has long since been lost to time, as the holy symbols and images which once decorated this great chamber have either been whitewashed away or faded under the weight of decades. When Duke von Brandt first returned to his manor following the realization of what he’d become, this chapel became the first victim of his rage. Rampaging through the building he once revered as holy ground, von Brandt took a shovel to the chapel’s finely crafted furnishings, making quick work of the pulpit, several of the benches, and an unfortunate priest who was caught in the Duke’s path. The Duke was unable; however, to break the stained glass windows he’d adored so much in life, and fled the chapel midway through his rampage – incapable of finishing the chapel’s destruction. Today, Brother Ptolemy has named the chapel grounds forbidden among his followers, and dares not tread there himself.
Optional: In his days of worship to a higher power, Duke von Brandt collected many divine relics. While Brother Ptolemy’s followers would never willingly allow a creature – dead or alive – to enter the forbidden chapel, those who do manage to gain entrance – either by stealth or force – may find one such relic. Buried beneath the shattered remains of the pulpit lies a still-functional suit of Soul Strength Armor – easily claimed if those seeking it are strong enough to dispatch the vengeful ghost of the chapel’s former priest who still haunts the wreckage…
7. Manor House
As the double doors to the Manor House swing inward, the heat from rows of braziers greets you. The orange glow cast by the coals illuminates an unexpectedly large hall lined by pillars, and filled with the monotonous chanting of a dozen men and women who kneel in prayer along the hall’s perimeter. The house has clearly undergone massive renovations, as the ceiling of the first floor has been removed entirely, allowing you to see all the way to the marble rooftop forty feet above. Several closed doors lead off of this main hall, though you have little time to ponder where they might lead to as the twelve worshipers – robed, with faces covered by golden masks – cease their chanting and stand slowly to face you.
What lies within this labyrinthine manor house is up to you, but one thing’s for sure – the accursed followers of the Hidden Kingdom revel in their new (un)life, and will not go down without a fight.
Using Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom
If utilizing Brother Ptolemy and his schemes fully into your campaign, this location can be present and incorporated in your game through a variety of ways, but is perhaps saved best for a final climactic encounter with Ptolemy and his followers. There are many ways to tackle this fortress-like encounter, though it should be clear to your players that a straightforward siege of the well-fortified manor might be a poor idea. Stealth, diplomacy, or even feigned interest in joining the order itself should yield more successful (and interesting) alternatives.
There are two main ways to approach the von Brandt manor as a location in your game. The first, and perhaps best option (to prevent your players from getting ahead of themselves), is to introduce the influence of the Hidden Kingdom to them far away from the actual manor, with the corruption and true nature of the order becoming clearer as they follow the path right up to Brother Ptolemy’s doorstep. The second option is to have the manor take the “haunted house on the hill” role as your players try to unlock the secrets of the Hidden Kingdom right under the watchful eye of it’s looming presence.
The Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom has the potential to be used in any campaign, and could be placed in the middle of a city, the distant countryside, or the middle of nowhere. The manor’s walls may rise from the mist just as passing travelers begin seeking a place to camp for the night, luring unknowing victims in with the promise of a soft bed and a warm meal in the company of some kind – yet quirky – monks. A seemingly harmless night of respite may quickly turn into a dangerous adventure that even the bravest of heroes is not prepared to face.
Click on the image below to download the map for this location.
Location Map by Stephen Dewey
Bastion of the Hidden Kingdom by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.
